or good measure, hey?" said Pee-wee. "Anyway, how much do you
want to bet he won't go to school now? Because he will, because scouts
have to do what they're supposed to do and I bet you he'll----"

"Another, Walter?"

"I'll take a pink one this time. I bet you he'll go to school and be
all right on account of starting to be a scout. I got some money for
grandstand seats on our island to see the boat races and I'll treat you
to a soda."

"Thank you," laughed Miss Carlton, "but I think not now."

Miss Carlton knew Pee-wee well enough (for he had been in her class)
not to inquire particularly about his multifarious adventures. She
knew that they were too numerous and complicated for casual recital.
Nor had she any faith in the influence of scouting on Keekie Joe. She
did not believe that any power in the world could tempt Keekie Joe to
school on a Monday, because Keekie Joe's partiality to liberal week
ends was well known to her.

"Well, I only hope it will do him some good,"; said Miss Carlton
dubiously.

"You mean scouting? _Sure_ it will. You just wait and see. So long,
maybe I'll see you on Monday."

"Won't you have one more?" the tempter urged.

Pee-wee hesitated. "I'll take a cocoanut one," he said, "because
they're small. So long, I'll see you later."

Thus it was that when Pee-wee went back to the island, he did take
something with him which was not named in the guessing of his friends.
It was the heavy responsibility which he bore to make scouting good in
the eyes of Miss Carlton. His promise, made at the altar of Bennett's
candy counter and solemnized by a dozen assorted dainties, must be
fulfilled.

He found his friends sprawling around their dying campfire on the
island. Townsend was lying on his back as usual, his hands clasped
behind his head, his eyes fixed on the quiet stars. Crowds thronged
the main street of Bridgeboro on that Saturday night but the island lay
peacefully against the shore of the wood skirting the river and the
town might have been a hundred miles on for all the campers could tell.

"Well, we've had quite a week," said Townsend; "and now that we're
started I hope we'll stick together and make a real, honest-to-goodness
patrol. Joe is with us to the last ditch--out for the second rate
badge----"

"You mean the second _class_ badge," Pee-wee thundered.

"Brownie is going to be steward or whatever you----"

"Don't talk about stew," said Billy.

"Pardon me, m